"Coming from the West Coast, traditional rules weren't part of the fashion vocabulary," Lam said.

As a young designer, he moved to New York and worked for Michael Kors, whose aesthetic Lam describes as "pragmatic chic."

When he founded his own line in 2002, Lam blended his two formative fashion influences.

"To be a designer in this moment is to talk about personal inspiration. It's about a conversation, not mantras," Lam said. "What's amazing with modern society is, if you do something with conviction, people will listen."

Lam is known for "pushing the envelope of textiles," Neiman Marcus fashion director Ken Downing said.

The result is his signature mingling of sporty and luxurious, formal and informal — a fleece sweat shirt with a gold leather and black silk macrame skirt for spring, for example. It's a juxtaposition he associates with his native San Francisco, origins that may explain his way with a trench coat too.

High-tech fabrications make it easier than ever to ignore seasonal dictates, Lam said. It's possible to make leather lightweight and breathable enough for summer wear.

"Europe now is so expensive, but they are raising the bar in terms of creativity," Lam said. "There are these amazing mills that let me do something crazy."

"Crazy" can raise questions. Asked by a audience member how to clean a dress that looks as if it's made of Christmas-wrap bows, Lam responded: "It can't be traditionally dry-cleaned. A little Windex would be fine."